The Tragic End of a Seattle Diver
After suffering from a mysterious illness contracted while working on the sunken tug Mystic, a local diver passes away, leaving behind a young family.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
John Christianson, the diver who was injured while working on the sunken tug Mystic last April, died at his home on Lake Washington, near the water works, yesterday morning. Since the time the current of foul air overcame him, he had been bedridden, slowly wasting away until death came to his relief. It was a pitiful sight to see the strong man, powerless to control his nerves; his lower limbs would contract with a jerk and then relax with clockwork regularity. This constant strain reduced him from 190 pounds to a mere skeleton. The deceased was 37 years old and a native of Norway, leaving behind a wife and three young sons. The funeral services will be held tomorrow at the Cross Undertaking Company.
“It was a pitiful sight to see the strong man, powerless to control the nerves of his body.”
Workplace safety in Seattle’s maritime industries has evolved significantly since 1891, when divers faced constant risks from 'foul air' and industrial accidents. While the technology of diving has advanced, the story of a breadwinner lost to a dangerous job remains a poignant, recurring theme in the city's labor history.
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